Does any one know any thing about La Verendrye circuit 70?
Cohorts and I are planning a seven-day plus trip this summer to La Verendrye. The plan is to combine circuits 78, 77, and 70…leaving Baie des Sables and traveling south toward Grand Lac Victoria and then counter clockwise on the perimeter of the circuits before returning to Baie des Sables. We are familiar with circuits 77 and 78 but not with 70. We have seen Chute Big; the campsites there seem great and the portage doesn’t seem as if it would be a problem. What is the rest of this circuit like, especially, the northeast section connecting Lac Gaotanaga and Lac Lambert? What are the campsites like? Any fishing?

I've canoed this route several times, but not in a few years. From what I remember it is recommended (and we've always done) travelling clockwise, from the bottom of Lambert (don't miss the island campsites!) and around. I don't remember the campsites exactly, but they do exist at either end of the trip and in the middle, all at decent size rapis. The portages are easy and very well marked. It is a very quick loop due to the current. Sorry I can't be more specific!

I did this trip a couple of years ago, but with a twist - started from the Sepaq campground on the west side of Lac Victoria, did the the loop through Lambert and Gaotanaga, but then instead of fighting current and portaging, we finished just before the bridge and walked back about 8km to the car at the put-in.
I don't have my map in front of me, but skip the first island campsite on Gaotanaga and stop at the second - gorgeous campsite, nice rocky point that extends way out into the lake and creates a little calm bay for swimming. From what I remember, winds on Lambert and Gaotanaga were nasty sometimes, but that was in August. Lots of inukshuks, stunning scenery.
As for the fishing, I didn't do too well, but my girlfriend got it figured out. She headed down the short, easy portage around Big Chute while I was busy unloading the canoe and otherwise mucking around. I looked up 15 minutes later and there she was, a walleye fillet in either hand . Seems as though she ran into a couple of generous fisherman at the other end of the portage who were obviously impressed by the angel that suddenly appeared out of the bush. So I guess it's all about the bait....
A note of curiosity: the campsite on the island next to Big Chute was overrun by mice at dusk - they must've been trapped there because of the fast water either side of the island, and they were HUNGRY - crawled up and down our legs and backs, trying to get their noses into our bowls. Incredibly bold, and awfully cute. But none to be seen the next morning.
Happy tripping,
H

What is the rest of this circuit like, especially, the northeast section connecting Lac Gaotanaga ? What are the campsites like? Any fishing?

I spend some time in this lake. There are at least 4 campistes on this lake according to my map. I have stayed at one. It's a small island just west of the peninsula that juts out of the eastern shore about 2/3 up the lake. It faces west. Good for 3 tents at least. The site is in the woods on the island and there is a huge rock peninsula where you could camp if you'd rather not be in the woods. Very nice indeed. When we were there the water was low and we could walk all around the island on the rock shore. A small lagoon next to the peninsula appears to always have some rock beack to it. The site is at the aprox location of 47 38 03.64 by 77 35 10.54

The river flows northeast to the road #44 and it can be paddled upriver pretty easily. The camp at the bridge putin is also nice enough for a putin camp.

We got our biggest pike ever from that island. There were a few motor fishing boats on the island but nothing too bothersome.

I saw this route mentioned in a current discussion on Canoe Tripping so I did a bit of googling and found the route description on this site was reasonable enough to put together a map of the route. Still waiting for someone to confirm since this route does not appear on the LaV maps - but pretty sure it is this :

Does anyone have the topo map in question for this route and can maybe send me a few pictures? There are 5 or 6 locations mentioned in the writeup on this site which reference things like "right by the L in 'Lac'" or whatever. With a few pictures of the topo I could pinpoint them.

EDIT: I just noticed the map info on the writeup is given as map "Lac Otanibi 31 N/12". I just emailed World of Maps about buying it myself. Pictures still appreciated though.

Ya that post of mine was 2003. I actually did that route from the bridge at 44 down the small river, down lac Lambert and then up to river to Lac Gaotanaga back in 1993. Being 1993, I didn't have a GPS at the time. I have some photos of that island campsite on Gaotanaga from hmm 25 years ago, if you'd like them.

Yes thanks for the stuff you sent me John - it is helpful for sure. Still looking for more - ideally someone who has been there in the last few years and updated their own map from the big maps on the table at Le Domain.

OK. I'll locate and send along some pics in the next few days. My wild guess is that the campsite on the island still gets some use even though it's off the maps,-- I think. The paddle up-river from Rt 44 to that site is not hard and it's great fishing there. I did revisit that site in 1995 with my wife and just camped there for a week. We saw no one else that week but it's easy to paddle upstream on that short section of river.

I was just able to obtain a recent photo of the official map of 70 at Le Domain but unfortunately it is kind of blurry so some details are still difficult to make out. But I have been able to confirm a number of things as well which is great. So my map is shaping up!

Wow and I now have obtained a crystal clear high-res photo of the route 70 map at Le Domain, taken just last week. I've now updated my google map with all of the campsite info - I'll go back and add EVs and a few other tidbits.

So I heard back from our navigator for that 1993 trip. It appears we only did half of the 70 loop. We actually put in far westward on Rt 44 and went south at Lac Black and the several smaller lakes to finally connect with Lac Lambert and then the river going north to Lac Gaotonaga. So my 25 year old memories and photos of 70 start at Chute Big.

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